Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my opinion about whether it is better to be an only child than one with siblings. According to the population census carried out by the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, the average domestic household size is decreasing, from 3.3 to 3.0. It seems that more grown-ups prefer to have only one child in their families. However, as a 15-year-old teenager, I think being a child with siblings is better than being an only child in the family.
I would like to point out two benefits of having siblings. Firstly, unlike an only child, a kid with siblings usually has better interpersonal skills. As sibling interactions are frequent, the one with siblings is supposed to develop better social skills through comforting, sharing and co-operating with his brothers and sisters. Moreover, the kids with siblings are motivated to be more considerate and tolerant while an only child will easily become self-centred. Since conflicts often arise between siblings, they will learn how to avoid quarrels. To do so, they are required to consider and tolerate other family members’ feelings and behaviours. Thus, they are trained to be mindful of others. No wonder the kids with siblings are likely to have better social skills than the only child.
Secondly, a child with siblings should have a healthier mental growth. According to some researches, mental problems are commonly found in three groups of people and the only children are one of those three types. Most only children are solely accompanied by adults at home; therefore they may easily become unsociable and autistic. On the contrary, other kids can choose to talk with their siblings, who are good listeners. When they experience happiness or sadness, they will be accompanied and bold to speak up. In a word, children with siblings have a better environment for their mental growth as they are encouraged to share their feelings with their siblings.
People generally think that being an only child does not need to face competition among the siblings and he is free from the pressure to outperform or fight for parents’ attention. Nevertheless, could it be said that it is good to the child without facing such competition? In fact, facing competition can help discover one’s weakness and hence make corrections accordingly. Children with siblings are more likely to feel the need to compete in order to draw parents’ attention, so they improve themselves at every moment to stand out in the families. Also, they will learn how to face challenges. So in the future, of course, they can shine more easily in the competitive society. Hence, we can draw the tentative conclusion that appropriate pressure and competitions will surely bring benefits to the children with siblings.
Obviously, children with siblings are drilled to be sociable through frequent communications and interactions among brothers and sisters. Therefore, they know how to get along with others in the community. Besides, they are mentally healthier than the only children since they have good listeners, their siblings, in the family. For these reasons, I think being a child with siblings is much better than being an only child at home.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong